The Riddlers
by MyrddinFan
Summary: The war is over and now the next generation of witches and wizards is attending Hogwarts. Disclaimer: I do not own HP. Spoiler warning.
1. Chapter I

Chapter I

The war was over. Bellatrix couldn't believe that just two hours ago she had watched as that wicked Potter boy killed her lord. First the seventeen-year-old brat decapitated Voldemort's precious pet, Nagini. The Dark Lord was understandably furious at losing his final _Horcrux_. He threw curse after unforgivable curse at Potter, but how can anyone expect to win such a fight with only a seventh of a soul? In the end, the kid triumphed.

Bellatrix was sitting in a deserted room, waiting. Any minute now, a group of Ministry lackeys or worse, the _friggin_ Order of the _bloody_ Phoenix would come bursting through the door. She didn't care. She was untouchable, for the moment at least.

The blast came. Millions of tiny pieces of what used to be the door rained down on Bellatrix. What seemed like about fifty Ministry workers and members of the Order surrounded her, wands poised.

Rufus Scrimgeour, the Minister of Magic, came before her and said in a commanding voice, "Bellatrix Black Lestrange, you are under arrest for crimes committed under the influence of one, Tom Marvolo Riddle."

Bellatrix smiled, "Going to send me to Azkaban? 'Fraid you're gonna have to hold off on that for a while."

Scrimgeour lifted a suspicious eyebrow, "Why's that?"

Bellatrix lifted her head and locked her dark eyes on Scrimgeour's, "Because I'm pregnant."

* * *

Harry was just released from St. Mungos. He had sustained some serious injuries in his final duel with Voldemort. But it didn't matter anymore. Voldemort was gone and Harry was finally free to live a life without worry. He had not seen his friends since before his encounter with the Dark Lord and now he was eager to celebrate.

One more corner to turn and he would be in the lobby of the hospital. The trip from his room had taken quite a while since the hallways were flooded with practically every patient wishing to congratulate and/or thank Harry.

Finally he saw her, the woman he knew he would love for the rest of his life.

"Harry!" Ginny ran into his arms, bombarding him with kisses.

"It's so good to see you Ginny. It's the best medicine I could have received in this place," Harry held her close.

Ginny showered Harry with affectionate kisses before gently pulling away. "Listen Harry, I need to tell you something really important. Remember three nights ago, before the final fight? When we . . ." the red-headed beauty began.

Harry blushed, "How could I forget?"

"Well, when I was getting treated for my injuries, the Healer told me that . . ."

"What is it Ginny?"

"I'm pregnant."

* * *

It only took one quick test at St. Mungos to confirm Bellatrix's story: she was carrying Lord Voldemort's heir. Scrimgeour knew that if he had any sense at all, he would instantly sentence her to receive the Dementor's Kiss, sacrificing the child. But Scrimgeour was a man of conscience, a firm believer that the sins of the father were not visited upon the child. That's what drove him to his decision.

"Bellatrix Black Lestrange, due to this recent development, your sentencing will be postponed until after you give birth. Until then, you will be kept in a high-security facility within the Ministry. Once the child is born, you will be granted several minutes to name the child, after which it will be sent to an orphanage and you will go to Azkaban. Do you understand?"

Bellatrix did not say anything or make any motion indicating she heard any of what Scrimgeour said, but of course she understood. She would not be allowed to raise her child, the child of her lord. Rodolphus had been dead for several weeks when Voldemort finally expressed his desire. She readily accepted his advances and now she would be unable to enjoy the results.

Scrimgeour motioned for the guards to take her away.

* * *

"I Harry, take thee Ginny, to be my lawfully wedded wife."

Once the couple informed the entire Weasley family of the unexpected, yet entirely welcome, pregnancy, Molly and Arthur immediately insisted on a marriage. Harry was more than happy to oblige, he had in fact planned to ask Ginny if she would do him the honor of becoming his wife once the war ended, considering he was still alive.

Harry could not believe, after seven severely close calls throughout his term at Hogwarts, he was actually experiencing the eve of his very own happy ending. He looked around at his wedding guests. He saw Ron holding Hermione's hand. Ron had finally professed his love to his best friend, worried he would never have a chance after the final battle. Sitting next to them—Harry still found himself surprised at this—was Draco Malfoy. The boy had finally abandoned his family and joined the "good side." His information had been indispensable to the Order this past year. Harry was able to form a strong friendship with Draco once he realized that the blonde boy had never meant to kill Dumbledore. Harry's old friend would probably still be alive if Severus Snape had not intervened. Harry shed no tear when he found out that Snape had become a casualty of war.

* * *

_Nine Months Later_

Bellatrix had once had the cruciatus curse performed on her yet that did not compare at all to the pain she was experiencing now. She could not believe that with all that magic could achieve, no wizard or witch had yet come up with an alternative to the crude muggle form of birthing.

"I can see the head. Give us another push," the Healer said, her hands poised to receive the child.

Bellatrix pushed. She heard a cry. It was loud.

"Congratulations Bellatrix. It's a beautiful baby girl," the Healer wrapped the child up in a blanket and handed her to her mother.

Bellatrix looked down. The child had a full head of dark hair and Bellatrix's eyes. She was definitely a Black.

"Um, excuse me ma'am, we're going to need a name."

"Darian. Darian Riddle Black," Bellatrix stroked her daughter's cheek.

The Healer came forward and reached for the child.

"What are you doing? I was told I'd have a couple minutes. You can't take my daughter! Please!" Bellatrix exclaimed. She had never begged for anything before in her life.

The Healer didn't look her in the eye, "I'm sorry."

Bellatrix was left alone.

* * *

Harry had never been this nervous before. Not even before his final duel with Voldemort. Waiting here was torture.

"Ron, do you think something's wrong?"

"I'm sure everything's fine mate," Ron assured his friend.

"Here Harry, try to relax," Hermione came up behind him with a cup of water.

_Relax? _Harry wanted to shout. _How can I relax? My wife is about to give birth to my child and you're telling me to relax?_

Instead he said, "Yeah, you're probably right."

Several minutes later, a St. Mungos Healer came out and gently handed Harry a small bundle, "Congratulations sir, meet your son. Your wife has informed us his name is to be James."

Harry looked down at the baby. It was obvious that James would follow in the tradition of his father and grandfather; his dark hair was already resting in messy wisps on his head. The boy also had green eyes, but they were Ginny's, not Harry's.

"He's perfect," Harry whispered after counting ten small fingers and ten small toes.


	2. Chapter II

Chapter II

Darian was eight, old enough to understand that she was different. She did not quite know how, but she knew there was something special about her.

She did not have any friends at the orphanage. The other orphans all avoided her. They said she was strange. Darian never showed any emotion. No one ever knew what she was feeling. That time Timmy purposely dumped his soda on her lap, she did not scream or cry. Whenever any of the children tormented her, Darian would just stay there, take it all. Yet somehow, she was always avenged. Timmy's collection of baseball cards was found shredded to bits. However, the matrons could never trace it back to Darian. No one really understood how it happened since Timmy never let the collection out of his sight.

But Darian knew how it happened. It happened because she wished it to happen. That was one of her gifts, things always turned out like she wanted them to. Another one of her talents was speaking with snakes. She was in the orphanage's garden one day and a little green snake slithered by her. It said "excuse me" as it went by. At first Darian thought she imagined it but then, on another day, she found the same snake and had an entire conversation with it. She tried with other animals, but it only worked with snakes. Darian wondered if her parents could speak to snakes.

* * *

_Three Years Later_

Harry was not quite sure how Headmistress McGonagall had convinced him to do this. He had been teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts for five years. The curse of the position was finally broken. He loved the job; it reminded him of Dumbledore's Army. He especially liked the fact that he was not preparing the children to battle any particular threat.

Ginny was happy for him, although his eldest son was not looking forward to starting school in September with his father as one of his professors.

Now, at the request of McGonagall, Harry was standing in front of a crumbling building with a sign out front indicating it was the orphanage he was looking for. Harry gave an involuntary shudder; the entire situation reminded him eerily of something he had seen in Dumbledore's pensieve during his sixth year at school.

Harry walked up the steps and knocked on the door. A small boy of nine opened the door.

"Good afternoon. I'm looking for a Ms. Shannon Flannagan. Your matron?" Harry explained to the child.

The boy stepped aside and Harry walked into the building.

"Are you here to adopt one of us?" the boy asked in a small voice.

"Um, no, I'm here to . . ." Harry began uncomfortably.

"You must be Mister Potter. You're here to talk to me about Darian Black," Ms. Flannagan came up behind Harry.

"Oh yes," Harry responded, thankful for the interruption.

"Lets discuss the matter in my office," Ms. Flannagan indicated a door to her left. Harry followed her into the room.

Harry sat down in a wooden chair in front of the matron's desk. "I'm a professor at a boarding school up north. It's called Hogwarts. Before Darian's parents died, they expressed their wishes that she attend our institution. Her tuition is already paid in full. She is assured a spot," Harry finished his rehearsed story.

Ms. Flannagan narrowed her eyes as she surveyed Harry, "Why was I not informed of this when the child first came to the orphanage?"

Harry faltered for a moment, "You were not? I'm sorry to hear that. Here is a letter from the school's Headmistress explaining in depth all I have told you."

Ms. Flannagan looked through the letter Harry handed her. She nodded, "Alright. I won't pretend it's not a relief to see the child go. She doesn't really get along with the other kids. She's a bit strange that one is. I'll take you to meet her."

Harry was about to ask her to elaborate on her previous statement, but the elderly matron was already at the door.

"She's in here," Ms. Flannagan pointed to one of the numerous doors in the second-level hallway.

"Thank you," Harry said as Ms. Flannagan walked away. He took a deep breathe and knocked on the door.

"Yes?" a voice said from within.

"May I come in?" Harry said when he realized the voice would not invite him in.

He heard some shuffling and the door opened. A pair of dark eyes peered out. Harry almost jumped back; they were Sirius' eyes.

"What do you want?" the girl asked, her face and voice passive.

"Are you Darian Black?"

"Yes."

"I'm Professor Potter. I'd like to tell you about my school."

Darian looked at Harry for a moment and then stepped aside. Harry walked into the small room. He saw a bed and a wardrobe—nothing else.

"This school of yours, is it for special people? People with gifts?" Darian asked before Harry had a chance to start.

Harry had been unprepared for this, "What do you mean? Do you think you're special?"

"Yes," Darian replied simply.

"Well, you'd be right about that. It's a school of magic," Harry handed Darian her Hogwarts introductory letter.

Darian read the letter and looked up, "Magic?" It was the first time her voice held some sort of emotion—skepticism.

"Would you like to see some?"

"Yes," Darian said. Harry thought it sounded almost like a challenge.

Harry took his wand out and pointed at the unmade bed. Instantly the bed began to arrange itself.

"Will I be able to do things like that?" Darian asked as she watched her pillow fluff itself.

"We will teach you at Hogwarts," Harry said, a bit embarrassed at not being able to think of anything more impressive.

Damian thought for a moment and then asked, "Were my parents magical? Did they attend—what did you call it?—Hogwarts?"

"Yes to both questions," Harry replied.

"This list of supplies I need, where can I buy them?" Then she added as a side note, "Are they expensive?"

"Well, my eldest son is actually beginning his term in September as well. My family is going to Diagon Alley tomorrow to purchase his supplies. Would you care to join us?" Harry asked. Ginny had convinced him to invite the child.

Darian was about to refuse, but then she reconsidered, "Very well," and remembering her manners, "Thank you."

"Right then, we will be leaving early tomorrow morning so it would be simplest if you came to stay with my family for the evening," Harry said. If someone had told him eleven years ago that he would be inviting the daughter of Lord Voldemort and Bellatrix Black to spend an evening with his family, Harry would have died laughing.

"Alright, can I have a moment to pack?" Darian asked glancing towards the wardrobe.

"Of course, I'll go explain our plans to your matron," Harry left her alone.

Darian walked over to her wardrobe and grabbed an old tattered suitcase. She packed it with the few amount of clothes she had and grabbed her toiletries.

She found Harry waiting for her in the lobby, "Are you ready?" Darian nodded.

"Come now," Harry led her out of the building and into a narrow alleyway, "I'm going to need you to hold on tight to my arm."

Darian grabbed Harry's extended arm and soon she heard a small pop accompanied by a pulling sensation behind her navel.

The pair apparated to a small village and Harry led his guest to his family's house. It was a rather large mansion; Darian never saw anything like it.

"Ginny, kids, we're here!" Harry shouted once they entered the house.

Darian saw an attractive red-headed woman come up to Harry and kiss him. She turned to Darian and said, "Hello, you must be Darian. I'm Ginny and it's a pleasure to welcome you into our home."

"Thank you," Darian said, feeling a bit uncomfortable amidst all the kindness. She saw two small children run up behind Ginny. They both took after their mother.

"This is Catherine, she's eight," Harry said indicating the girl, "and this is my youngest son Robert."

"I'm seven," Robert smiled, exposing several missing teeth.

"And I'm James," a voice from behind said. Darian turned around and saw a tall boy with messy, raven hair and green eyes.

The boy extended his hand. She shook it, her expression passive as always.

"James will be attending school with you," Ginny said to her guest. Then to her son she added, "Why don't you show Darian up to her room while Cathy and Bobby help me prepare dinner."

"Alright, follow me Darian," James started up an enormous staircase.

Darian followed him to a large room. It seemed to her to be grander than the entire orphanage.

"Do you like it?" James asked. He always hated silence.

"Yes," Darian said fingering the white sheets.

"Are you looking forward to going to Hogwarts? I am. What house do you think you will be in? I'm sure I'll be put in Gryffindor," James said.

"House?" Darian asked.

James' eyes widened, "You don't know about the houses of Hogwarts? Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff? None of that means anything to you?"

Darian shook her head.

"Wait right here," James ran out of the room. Darian did not have much time to wonder at his absence before he returned with a thick book. He handed it to Darian and she looked at the cover: _Hogwarts: A History_.

"I hope you enjoy reading it," James said.

"Thank you," Darian looked up and jumped back, "That portrait, it moved," she said indicating a painting of a jungle scene behind James.

"Of course it moved," James said, looking at Darian with a confused expression before leaving the room. She watched him leave and vowed to never again let magic shock her.

Once alone, Darian sat in a chair next to a window and opened the book. To her amazement, she found even more moving pictures. Darian had gotten through almost a quarter of the fascinating book when there was a knock on the door. Cathy and Bobby walked in without bothering to wait for a response.

Bobby said, "Mum told us to come get you for dinner."

Cathy walked over and grabbed Darian's hand. Darian almost recoiled but she checked herself before offending anyone.

At the dinner table, James monopolized the conversation. Darian was content with that. She was too busy appreciating all the food. The family of five had a greater abundance of much more delicious food laid out on the table than her orphanage ever had in the entire building.

Without realizing it, the conversation had somehow turned to Darian. Ginny asked her, "So you've been reading _Hogwarts: A History_. Do you like it?"

All eyes were on Darian, "It's very interesting."

"Have you read about the houses yet?" James asked.

"Yes, I think I would like to be in Slytherin," Darian wondered if she said something wrong as everyone was suddenly silent.

"Don't be silly, you wouldn't want to be in Slytherin," James said.

"Why not?" Darian asked, curious.

James explained, "There's not a dark witch or wizard who didn't come from that house. That was where Lord Volde—"

"That's enough James," Harry said somewhat fiercely and the young preteen shut his mouth.

The rest of the dinner was spent in silence. All Darian could think about was Lord who?

The next morning, Ginny went to wake up Darian only to find the girl already awake, making her bed, "I see you're up. We'll be going to Diagon Alley soon. Are you ready?"

"Yes."

Soon the entire Potter family and Darian found themselves in front of a brick wall. Harry removed his wand from his pocket and tapped several bricks in a specific pattern. Once he was finished, a small hole began to form which steadily grew larger, revealing a bustling alleyway.

Darian looked about her. There were shops advertising unicorn horns, broomsticks, feather quills, all sorts of bizarre things.

"Right then, first stop Gringotts," Harry said.

Eventually Darian realized that the large white building at the end of the alley was their destination. She saw a small creature at the entrance and James whispered in her ear, "That's a goblin. They run the bank."

Harry walked up to an available teller and pulled out a key, "I'm here with Darian Riddle Black, she needs to access her family's vault." The goblin nodded and led the group down a dark corridor. He found the specified vault and opened it using the key. None of the portion of the Black family fortune that Darian was technically entitled to was there. All of the money came from the Riddle family, of which she was the last descendant. When converted into wizard currency, the muggle fortune was not much. However it was enough to sustain Darian for her seven years at Hogwarts and a couple years after if she spent it smartly.

"All of this is mine?" Darian asked Harry.

"Yes," Harry said as he began to explain the different coins and their values, "Here you are, fill this pouch up with coins and meet us back in the lobby."

Darian grabbed the pouch and went to grab some money. As she was scooping up some golden galleons, she saw something green out of the corner of her eye. Darian turned and grabbed the emerald which turned out to be an eye on a small silver snake pendant hanging on a silver chain. She held it gently in her hand and then pocketed it. She finished filling the pouch and started back towards the lobby.

"Right then, where to first? How about Flourish and Blott's to purchase the books?" Ginny suggested.

The group readily agreed and soon Darian was searching through the secondhand book shelves. She had found all of her necessary school books when another title caught her eye: _Lord Voldemort: The History of Tom Marvolo Riddle_.

_Riddle?_ Darian wondered. She grabbed the volume and put it between her school books.

The next stop was the wand shop. Ollivander's was now run by his son. He hardly had his father's legendary skill but his wands were decent enough.

It did not take long for a twelve-inch ebony, unicorn hair-filled wand to claim James. Darian was another matter however. It seemed like she had already gone through every wand in the store when Ginny suggested she take the other kids to purchase the rest of the supplies.

"Meet us at the twins' shop when you're done," Ginny said to her husband who agreed to wait for Darian.

Darian went through several more wands when Ollivander said, "I wonder." He walked over to a dusty cupboard and pulled out several boxes.

"What are those?" Harry asked.

"These are the one's leftover from the bunch my father had to make for the Death Eaters," Ollivander explained. Harry was still amazed at the casualty with which some people now spoke of that dark period.

Ollivander picked a box at random and opened it. Darian moved closer. The handle had a small snake etched into it. She grabbed it and felt her hand grow warm. She made a motion with it similar to that she had made with the other wands, hoping nothing exploded this time.

A small green wisp appeared out of the tip of the wand and began to materialize into a snake. _Sow sam saha_, it hissed. _I have been waiting_.

"Well I suppose we have found a winner," Ollivander said, "A bit surprised at what just happened. Ivy structure, eleven inches . . ."

"What is its core?" Harry demanded.

"Well, it's a very unique one. The magic comes from a shred of Basilisk skin."

"What's a Basilisk?" Darian asked.

"It's a giant snake," Harry said, "Let's go."

Ollivander couldn't resist, "Say do you know what that snake said? I don't speak parseltongue."

Darian was about to tell him when Harry said hurriedly, "It told her it had been waiting."

Outside the store Darian asked, "You speak snake also?"

"It's called parseltongue," Harry said.

"Can lots of wizards do it," Darian wondered.

"No."

That night in the Potter home, Harry told Ginny about what happened at the wand shop, "It's not right. She shouldn't be allowed at Hogwarts."

"Don't be silly Harry. She has no clue about her parentage. Nothing has really happened to indicate she has an evil bone in her body. It's all just been the consequences of her lineage," Ginny argued. Little did she know that at that moment, Darian was reading all about her father.


	3. Chapter III

Chapter III

September first was in a week, and it was agreed that Darian would spend that time with the Potter's rather than return to the orphanage. Darian was confused by the kindness. It was obvious that Harry was uncomfortable around her, but she was not quite sure why. She assumed it had something to do with the Lord Voldemort whom Harry had stopped James speaking about that first dinner. Darian did not yet know of her relation to the man, or in fact if she had any relation at all. Perhaps her middle name was just a fancy of her mother's. After all, if the man was her father, should not his last name be hers? All she knew for sure was that Lord Voldemort was a fascinating man. Once the reader got past the inherent loathing with which the author wrote the biography, a man of passion and ambition was revealed. At least, that was how Darian interpreted what she read.

Darian could not really believe what was happening. The morning after her trip to Diagon Alley, she had to touch the quality fabric of her school robes, the leather bindings of her secondhand books, and the soft wood of her wand to make sure it was all reality. Once she was assured of their tangibility, she looked out the window. The Potter's had a beautiful garden which she was eager to explore. That was the one activity that made her happy in the orphanage. She pulled on her sneakers and started towards the front door. Before she reached it, Harry saw her.

"What are you doing?" he said somewhat more suspiciously than he meant to.

"I was going to go into the garden," Darian replied and added, "Am I allowed?"

Harry stared at her for a moment. He still could not bring himself to look directly into her eyes for longer than a moment, the eyes that reminded him so much of his godfather yet he knew came from the person responsible for Sirius' death.

"Of course you're allowed," Harry said as he turned around to leave before adding, "By the way, we will be having some guests later. You will be able to meet some more of your future schoolmates."

Darian did not say anything and just continued on her way to the garden. It was even nicer than it seemed from her window. Someone had spent a lot of care making it perfect. She did not think it was Ginny. She had caught glimpses of the little people who scurried around the mansion, apparently doing housework. Darian had spared a moment to wonder why the Potters would want to hire short people as their servants but she found that she did not really care and soon forgot about the whole thing.

Darian walked about the garden and eventually found a smooth rock hidden behind a tall bush on which to sit. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the image of a snake forming in her mind. _Sowa_, she whispered. _Hello?_

After a minute or two she heard the tiny rustling that indicated a small garden snake had heard her.

_Sowa_, it replied.

_Hassam set she_ Darian asked. _Would you care to talk to me?_

_Sessmon tallahhassi sefs_, the snake slid past her. _I'm sorry but I'm too busy_.

Darian contemplated beckoning another snake but then she heard her own name being called.

"Darian, I'm glad I found you. Look what Agamemnon caught last night," James held out his palm while his new owl perched on his shoulder.

"It's a dead mouse," Darian said, annoyed at being discovered.

"Yeah! I found it in Agamemnon's beak this morning when he flew into my window. Isn't he smart?" James affectionately stroked the feathers of his new pet.

"Sure."

"I'm also supposed to tell you that our guests arrived," James said remembering why he was searching for Darian in the first place, "You'll like them I'm sure. Everyone does. My uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione are here with their kids. Their oldest, Pamela, just turned eleven like last week so she'll be in our year at Hogwarts. Also the Longbottom's came. Their oldest is too young to attend this year. Carl will be a first year when we're in second. Oh and I almost forgot, Uncle Draco and Aunt Persephone are coming later. Their kid isn't old enough to start yet. It's kind of sad, Derek's birthday is on September third. But you have to be at least eleven before you start Hogwarts. He just missed the cut-off. I heard his dad is talking to the headmistress trying to get her to bend the rules. I hope she agrees. Derek's my best friend."

The pair had reached the house just as James finished his short summary of their guests. When Ginny saw Darian, she ushered her in and the formal introductions began.

"This is my brother Ron and his wife Hermione. This is Pamela, she's your age," Ginny indicated a tall, thin girl with bushy red hair and brown eyes, "And her siblings. Sammy and Petey are twins. They're eight." Next Ginny turned to a slightly chubby man next to a thin woman with platinum blond hair, "Neville Longbottom and his wife Luna. He teaches Herbology at Hogwarts. These are their children Carl and Lacy. He's ten and she's seven so neither will be with you at Hogwarts this year."

The door opened then and a tall man with hair a color similar to Luna's and a pretty woman with light brown hair walked in. Ginny exclaimed, "Draco, Persephone you are just in time for the introductions. Darian, this is Draco Malfoy and his wife Persephone who happens to be Hermione's cousin. This is their only child Derek," Ginny pointed to an extremely happy looking boy with light blonde hair and gray eyes.

"Guess what!" Derek shouted, unable to contain his excitement, "Come on father, tell them!"

Draco smiled down at his son and looked up at his friends, "I got Derek a spot in Hogwarts this year."

Harry grinned at one of his best friends, "How'd you manage that? I would have sworn McGonagall would never agree to that."

"She was adamant at first, but the woman can be shrewd when need be. She agreed to let my son start this year if I taught Potions," Draco explained.

"And you agreed?" Ron asked.

"Well I knew there would have been hell to pay in my household if Derek here ever found out he had a chance to go to Hogwarts earlier than originally specified and it was my fault he didn't get it," Draco slapped his son's shoulder affectionately, "Plus it's not like I haven't the time."

Draco, Persephone, and Derek had been living comfortably on Draco's inheritance for years. All his friends knew he was a bit bored. This would be good for him.

"But what happened to Slughorn?" Neville asked.

"He said he was tired of teaching. I think it's just because none of the kids would even pretend to be interested in joining his Slugclub anymore," Harry answered.

All the adults were silent for a moment, reminiscing about their time at Hogwarts, specifically their sixth year when Horace Slughorn had come to teach at their school.

James rolled his eyes, "Come on guys lets go upstairs." All the children followed him, Darian bringing up the rear. The adults went into a parlor where the houselves served them coffee and tea.

"So that was her?" Ron was the first to speak.

"Yeah," Harry said.

"Does she know anything about who she is?" Hermione asked.

Harry was about to respond but Ginny beat him to it, "No. She has been staying with us for about two days now and so far I have not seen anything but a sweet, shy orphan. Harry doesn't want to hear it, but the girl is not evil."

"I have reason to believe that her family genes are a more powerful influence than my wife cares to admit," and Harry continued to tell his closest friends all about what happened in the wand shop.

"So she's a parseltongue. So what? So are you," Draco pointed out.

"Yeah Harry, that doesn't really prove a penchant for dark magic," Hermione said. She and Ron were both Aurors for the Ministry.

Persephone, a muggle, was confused, "Wait I don't get it. Are you guys saying you think that skinny little dark girl is some sort of force of evil?"

The wizards and witches in the room spared a moment to give her a condensed explanation of Darian's lineage.

Meanwhile, upstairs, the older kids were happily discussing Hogwarts while the younger one's played with their merchandise from Fred and George Weasley's joke shop.

"You guys are so lucky. I wish I were going this year," Carl complained.

"It's alright Carl, you'll be with us next year," Derek said somewhat halfheartedly. He had yet to remove the wide smile from his face which indicated his jubilation at getting to go to Hogwarts with his best friend James.

"Darian? Isn't that a boy's name?" Pamela asked the stranger. She did not mean to sound rude, she was just naturally curious.

"No," Darian replied her face and voice eerily even. Pamela was a bit frightened to continue further questioning.

"My dad said you were raised in a muggle orphanage and that you didn't even know magic existed before Uncle Harry got you. Kind of strange considering who your parents were . . ." Derek broke off, trying to remember if this was one of those secrets his father did not want discussed.

"You know who my parents were?" Darian asked her face finally revealing some emotion.

"You don't?" Pamela mustered up the courage to ask, her eyes widening.

James, never one for being left out of a conversation, said, "We all heard our parents talking about it."

"Tell me," Darian commanded as she resisted the urge to grab the small snake pendant that always hung around her neck now.

"Well, we're not really supposed to," Carl wished the topic of conversation would change soon.

James finally made up his mind, "It's alright guys. I think she's cool. She's kind of quiet but not mean or anything. I think we should tell her."

Derek looked at Darian, "Alright, but you can't tell our parents we told you."

Darian nodded and listened as the three preteens explained all about Lord Voldemort and Bellatrix Black Lestrange. At least they told her all they knew, which admittedly was not that much. They just knew the simplest details but it was enough to awaken a strange feeling in Darian.

Their story continued until dinner time when their parents called them down to eat. "Remember what you promised," Derek whispered to Darian as they went to wash their hands.

That evening, Darian lay on her bed thinking as she caressed the spine of the green book she had found by chance in Flourish and Blott's.

Darian spent the rest of her stay at the Potter mansion reading her schoolbooks. She would learn all there was about magic. She would become as powerful as possible. She would make her parents proud.

It was the morning of September first and Darian had just followed James onto Platform 9 ¾. She looked around and saw a lot of young witches and wizards. Some were dressed in black robes similar to those packed in the small trunk she had had to purchase in Diagon Alley, but most were wearing regular clothes. Darian checked herself: muggle clothes.

As her companions said good-bye to their parents, Darian stood off to the side. She was a bit surprised when Ginny came and gave her a small kiss on her forehead and a smile followed by hugs from Cathy and Bobby. Darian gave them a nervous smile and followed James when he said, "Come on Darian. Let's go find a compartment! See ya later dad!"

Harry, Neville, and Draco would apparate to Hogwarts later.

After several minutes of searching, James, Darian, Derek, and Pamela found an empty compartment. They threw their trunks up on the luggage racks and sat back. They began to discuss the sorting ceremony.

"How embarrassing would it be if you tripped while going up to the stool?" Pamela said, ever self-conscious. They all knew what the ceremony entailed from reading _Hogwarts: A History_.

"Don't be silly Pamela. You'll be fine. Just don't be nervous. Think Gryffindor!" James tried to comfort his friend. They all agreed Gryffindor is their goal, except Darian. Derek was not sure either; his family did not have a tradition of being in the "courageous" house like his friends' families did.

After James and Derek stocked up on chocolate frogs from the snack trolley, the group was confronted by several order students.

The two boys were busy exchanging Famous Wizard Cards, Pamela was reading _The Daily Prophet_, and Darian was looking out the window when the door to their compartment opened.

A burly boy of thirteen appeared before them followed by four others.

James was the first to speak, "May we help you?"

The burly boy said with a malicious smile, "Just welcoming the new students."

"Oh well, alright," Pamela began uncomfortably, "I'm Pamela Weasley, this is James Potter, Derek Malfoy, and that's—"

"Darian. Darian Riddle Black," Darian finished. She noticed the green emblem of a snake on the leader's black robes.

The boy squinted his eyes at her. Finally he whispered more to himself than anyone else, "I heard rumor of a child." Then he introduced himself, "I'm Jonathan Avery. This is Daniel Zabini, Jacob Rookwood, Tyler Wilkes, and Alexis Nott.

Jonathan was not very tall for his age but he was muscular. He had light brown hair and matching eyes. He would be beginning his third year at Hogwarts this year. Daniel's parents were schoolmates of Pamela, James, and Derek's parents. Fortunately for him, he took after his father Blaise, rather than his mother Pansy Parkinson. He was tall with high cheekbones and dark eyes. However, Daniel had inherited his mother's black hair. He would be starting at Hogwarts this year. Jacob was another first year who was of average height. He had blue eyes and blonde hair. Tyler and Alexis would be beginning their second year at Hogwarts. Tyler had black hair as well but with blue eyes. Alexis had strawberry blonde hair and light brown eyes.

As they finished appraising Darian, Jonathan said, "Alright, we'll see you up at the castle." The group left.

An uncomfortable silence resonated throughout the compartment. Pamela, Derek, and James had recognized most of the names as past deatheaters they had heard about. Finally Pamela said, "We should put on our robes. I think we'll be there soon."

The four companions began to get ready and about a half hour later, the train came to a stop.

As they disembarked from the train, they heard a gruff voice shout, "First years! O'er here!"

They moved in the direction of the voice and James exclaimed, "Hello Hagrid!"

"Hi there James! Good to see ya. And Derek and Pamela. But who's this?" Hagrid asked looking at Darian.

"That's Darian. Didn't dad tell you about her?" James said.

"Oh aye. Listen James I gotta go get the other first years. You and your friends can just hop into one of those boats o'er there," Hagrid pointed to a bunch of small wooden boats.

The four picked an empty one and waited until the other new students were situated as well. Darian's first impression of the castle was one of awe. She had never seen such a magnificent building. She could not believe that would be her home from now on.

Eventually she found herself in a large corridor listening as a middle-aged professor introduced herself, "Hello, I'm Professor Turnpike and welcome to Hogwarts. When you hear me call your name, come up to the front of the Great Hall and you will be sorted into either Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, or Slytherin."

Darian looked over at Pamela who could not stop shaking from nervousness. She decided to try and reassure her, "Relax. You'll be fine."

It was a foreign feeling for Darian; she had never tried to comfort anyone before. She wondered if it helped Pamela at all. It seemed to; the tall girl had stopped shaking slightly.

Quite to most of the first year's surprise, the sorting hat soon broke out into song.

_When Hogwarts was still young_

_And I had not yet a tongue_

_The founders four fought and fought_

_Couldn't agree on who they taught_

_Brave Gryffindor liked might_

_So that's who he would invite_

_Only the ones who proved to him_

_Courage filled them to the brim_

_Shrewd Slytherin had a plan_

_Everyone else he would ban_

_But those who showed ambition_

_And always stuck to tradition_

_Smart Ravenclaw said no_

_Seeds of learning we must sow_

_Only in those with quick minds_

_For they are the perfect kinds_

_Kind Hufflepuff was appalled_

_Hogwarts should not be walled_

_She wanted to accept everyone_

_They should refuse none_

_So four houses they created_

_And patiently they waited_

_For the kids with the qualities _

_They would teach with ease_

_Gryffindor Slytherin Hufflepuff Ravenclaw_

_They made me without one flaw_

_Come to me and I'll tell you where_

_You belong, this I swear_

The great hall erupted in applause as Professor Turnpike appeared next to the stool on which the hat stood.

"Ansel, Larry."

Darian watched as a mousy boy stepped up to the sorting hat which was placed on his head. After a moment it shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" and Larry ran to an excited table at the far left.

"Black, Darian."

Darian could not remember ever being nervous before, yet as she walked up to the stool and heard whispers of "That's her," she could feel her heart thumping rapidly against her ribcage. However, the hat hardly touched her head before it shouted, "SLYTHERIN!" She looked up in time to see a table at the far right erupt in applause. She walked over to the table and realized that Jonathan Avery had cleared a space for her beside him. She took it as he whispered "Welcome to Slytherin," in her ear.

When she looked up, "Eames, Jennifer" had just been sorted into Ravenclaw.

After several more students, she heard "Malfoy, Derek" being called up. Darian was curious to see where he would end up. After a moment of silence, the hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" Derek looked happy as he walked over to the table specified for his new house.

Once "Padelink, Katrina" was sorted into Hufflepuff, it was James' turn. Darian was not surprised when he ended up beside his best friend at the Gryffindor table.

Next was "Rookwood, Jacob," one of the boys that had been with Jonathan's gang on the train. He was also put into Slytherin and he took a seat beside Darian when he reached the table.

Darian did not look up again until she heard "Weasley, Pamela." The hat took a while to decide on Pamela's placement but eventually it shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" Pamela looked incredible happy. As she was walking towards the table, she stumbled once but Pamela did not seem to care.

The last name was "Zabini, Daniel." The hat yelled out, "SLYTHERIN!" once it touched his head. Daniel walked over and sat himself between Jacob and Darian.

An elderly yet seemingly strong woman stood up and said in a commanding voice, "Welcome students back, or for the first time, to Hogwarts. I would like to remind you of some rules we abide by at this school. The forest on the outskirts of the grounds is off limits. We also do not allow several items from the joke shop called Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes to be on the grounds. A full list is available in our caretaker's office. Now you have waited long enough. Enjoy your meal."

Darian watched as the empty dishes before her suddenly filled with delicious looking food.

After dinner, Darian was ushered, along with the rest of the Slytherin first years, out of the Great Hall and into a small corridor to the right of the main staircase. She watched as James, Pamela, and Derek all went up as she went down into what resembled a dungeon. The Prefects stopped in front of a portrait of a snake coiled around a tree branch.

"Password?" the snake asked extending its Ss.

Darian wanted to shout, "That's not how snakes talk," but contented herself by glaring maliciously at the painting.

She heard the male Prefect say, "Teepee" and the portrait swung open.

_Teepee?_ Darian wondered sardonically. _Who comes up with that?_

She stepped into a room lit by numerous torches on the walls and a roaring fire in the hearth. There were comfortable-looking green chairs scattered about the room, most of them accompanied by silver tables.

"Girls over here, boys follow Jason," Amber, the female Prefect, said. Darian followed her up a narrow winding staircase and was soon in a circular chamber with five beds in it. She saw her small trunk at the foot of one of the beds and walked over to it. Darian slept comfortably her first night at Hogwarts.


	4. Chapter IV

Chapter IV

Darian walked into the common room the next morning to find Jonathan, Daniel, Jacob, Tyler, and Alexis waiting for her. They were accompanied by another girl.

"This is Selma Clint. She's a third year as well," Jonathan introduced the tall girl. She had dirty blonde hair that reached below her waist. Selma also had deep blue eyes. Darian thought she was very pretty; no wonder Jonathan remained in close proximity to her.

"Nice to meet you," Darian said, wondering if these people were her 'friends' now.

"You too," Selma gave a charming smile. Then she added in a whisper, "Jonathan explained your special lineage to me."

So that's it, Darian thought. They want to hang out with me because of who my parents were. Darian did not feel insulted. When she did not reply, the other Slytherins decided to start towards the Great Hall. Once seated, Darian scanned the Hall for James, Pamela, and Derek. She saw them laughing at the Gryffindor table.

"Well Darian? What do you think?" Daniel was asking her.

"Think about what?" Darian replied, she had not realized he had been talking to her.

"Our schedules," Daniel said looking down at her plate. Darian followed his gaze and found a small piece of parchment lying on top of her scrambled eggs. She lifted it up and scanned the list.

"What does 'double' mean?" Darian asked. The word was in front of all her classes for the first few weeks.

"At the start of every year the houses are paired the first three weeks in order to promote inter-house relations. First week, we're paired with Hufflepuff, then we got Ravenclaw, and finally the Gryffindors. After that, we're pretty much on our own except under special circumstances," Jacob explained.

"Our first class is Potions with that traitor Malfoy teaching. I heard he only took the job so his son could get into Hogwarts a year early," Daniel said.

Traitor? Darian thought. Then she recalled what she read about the Great War in her father's biography. Well I suppose it was recent enough for these guys to feel somewhat betrayed. Their grandparents were part of it even if their parents weren't. Malfoy was a dark wizard? Thoughts were swirling through Darian's mind. She was still thinking about what she found out when she walked into the cold dungeon Potions classroom.

The week spent with the Hufflepuffs had passed by uneventfully; similarly with the Ravenclaws. The only noteworthy occurrence was Darian's first Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Professor Potter was used to having students ask him about the war. He usually reserved the first class exactly for that purpose. He impresses the students with stories of intense battles and strange events. The Slytherins usually acted like they did not care but they had no choice but to sit and listen since whatever house they were paired with for the first week always bombarded Harry with questions.

This time, it was incredibly uncomfortable for Harry though. He could feel Darian's dark eyes on him from the back of the classroom. Every time he mentioned Lord Voldemort, her gaze just got deeper and darker.

The Sunday before she would begin her classes with the Gryffindors, Darian found herself walking down a wide staircase, towards the Trophy Room. Jonathan had suggested that she might be able to find some information regarding her parents there. She thought it was worth a shot.

When Darian entered the room, she heard a familiar voice demand, "Who's there?"

"James?" she replied, ignoring the question.

"Darian?" she saw James appear from behind a particularly tall shelf full of small trophies.

She asked, "What are you doing here?"

James started on what seemed like a long-rehearsed speech, "Can you believe my father gave me detention? I had a lot of homework last week so I figured it would be alright if I skipped my D.A.D.A. assignment. My father would understand right? But no! Instead he makes me polish trophies for a week! Can you believe it? What are you doing here?"

Darian blinked, "I was wondering if my parents had any trophies here."

James beckoned to a large nearby plaque, "I think you might find something there. I remember it from my first night."

"Thanks," Darian walked over to the tablet and scanned the names. It was a list of all the head girls and boys. She found what she was looking for: Tom Marvolo Riddle 1944. Darian resisted the urge to trace the small engraved letters; she could sense James looking at her.

She turned around and surveyed the young boy. He asked, "That help?"

"Yeah, thanks again," she replied. Darian was almost out the door before she turned around again. "James?"

"What's up?" James looked up from a particularly complicated trophy he was polishing.

Darian hesitated before saying, "I really wish we had met under different circumstances. Maybe then we could have been friends."

James was silent for a moment—only a moment, "Don't be silly Darian! We are friends."

She looked at him, "Sure." Darian walked away.

When Darian walked into her Defense Against the Dark Arts class the next morning, she realized after a quick scan that the only available seat was behind James. Despite Jonathan's advice, Daniel and Jacob were not comfortable enough around the Dark Lord's daughter to save her a space. Darian took the seat and smiled back faintly when James turned around and gave her a wave.

Darian groaned when the class came to an end after a particularly uninteresting lesson about dark magic familiars. Next, she would be having her first flying lesson. Everyone else, especially James, was excited. Darian, however, had an irrational fear of heights.

On the Quidditch pitch, Darian nervously gripped her borrowed broom. She listened as Professor Oliver Wood explained the proper take-off technique. His heavy Scottish accent made her even more nervous. She was unsure whether or not she caught everything he said. She was not prepared to fly without knowing the correct procedure. Darian tried to pay attention but it seemed like now the professor was explaining to some curious boys how he was taking a year from professional Quidditch after a particularly nasty fall off his broom. That's assuring Darian rolled her eyes.

Wood blew his whistle. That meant it was time to mount. Darian lifted her leg over the broom's handle and straddled the flying equipment. A second whistle—it was time to kick off. Darian pushed with all her strength and was soon hovering in thin air. Well not exactly hovering—she could not stop going higher. Darian looked down. That was a big mistake. She could feel the vertigo overtaking her. She tried to remember what the professor said about coming back down. She would not shout for help; that would be weak. But she needed help; her arms were getting weak and she couldn't control the broom anymore. It was over; Darian fainted on her broom.

Darian woke up on the grassy ground of the pitch. A pair of brown eyes was examining her and a thick Scottish voice said, "Alright there?"

Darian nodded, she could not do much else. Wood continued, "Good thing James was close enough to grab you before you fell off. That would have been painful." Wood tapped his skull as if to add credibility to his words.

_James saved my life?_ Darian thought.

The Professor looked down at Darian, concerned that she had not gotten up yet, "Maybe you should go to the Hospital Wing. James, you mind?"

"No Professor, not at all," James extended his hand and Darian gripped it. He pulled her up and made her place her weight on him as the two started towards the castle.

"It's alright James. I can walk," Darian said about halfway to their destination, increasing the distance between her and her savior.

"I'm glad you're alright. I guess flying is a bit scary for first-timers," James tried to comfort Darian.

She stopped walking, "I was not scared."

James stared, "Okay. Sorry."

Darian continued walking. When they reached the castle, Darian said, "Look James. I don't need to go to the Hospital Wing. I think I'll just go to my room and rest for the remainder of the day."

"Alright, if you're sure . . ." James was a bit uneasy about leaving Darian but he also wanted to be back at the flying lessons.

"I'm sure," Darian said and left towards the Slytherin common room.

He thinks I'm weak. They all do. Darian thought as she entered the spacious room. Without pausing, Darian walked over to the fire.

Jonathan Avery was just entering the common room, with several of his friends to enjoy, his free period when he heard a stifled moan. He and the others ran into the room and stopped at what they saw. Darian Black was kneeling in front of the fire, her right arm shoved deep into the fire.

"Oh my God!" Jonathan shouted and leaped towards the hunched figure. "Help me!" A couple other boys jumped forth and together, they pulled Darian out of the fire and carried her fainted, limp body to the Hospital Wing.

"What happened?" Madame Pomfrey demanded as they placed Darian on a bed.

"We found her like that. Is she gonna be okay?" Jonathan asked while Madame Pomfrey began applying some ointment onto Darian's arm.

"She must have had her arm in the fire for a long time before you found her. She's burned off almost all of her skin. It will take at least the night to grow back. You should leave young man," the nurse ushered Jonathan out of the Hospital Wing.

Darian opened her eyes. "You're awake," an excited voice whispered beside her. Darian turned her head and saw James sitting on the next bed. She looked down and saw that her right arm was bandaged tightly.

"What are you doing here?" Darian turned back to James.

"I could ask you the same question! I thought you were going to back to your room and rest, not set yourself on fire!" James chastised. "Why did you do it?"

_So that you would see I am not weak—I am brave. I have survived fire. Who else do you know that has done what I have done? I am special; I am unique._ "I don't know," Darian said.

"It was a pretty stupid thing to do, but at least you're alright. I brought you your homework; you've been out since yesterday," James motioned to a large pile of books sitting on the table next to Darian's head.

James started to leave. He turned around at the door and said, "You know Darian, you're not like other people I've met. You're hard to understand." He left.

_Good_, thought Darian as she rested her head back on her pillow.


End file.
